Iftar items you should avoid while eating out

As more and more residents are opting for having their Iftars at cafes or restaurants every once in a while, it is natural to feel the urge to devour everything once the Maghrib adhaan is heard.

But did you know that you do have the ability to eat a lot more, almost like the ability to finish off a buffet, only if you can eat smart and avoid certain stereotypical items? This is in no way undermining the contribution of those items but most of the Iftar platters served can do without those items.

It would be a shame to waste these items, but in my opinion, they should not be included in the platters in the first place, as those items most of the time has to be eaten and ruin your appetite even before you can get started.

This is, what you can call – ‘Iftar hacks’ if you want, but believe me when I say this – avoid these types of food and you can eat a lot more without having to worry about your metabolism rate or belly aches.

Piaju/Beguni – They are usually included because one, they have become cultural icons in the world of Iftar and two; these fritters are easy to prepare. But these are often prepared before the other items, resulting in cold and often hard-to-chew concoctions of these household staples. You eat out to get the feel of restaurant food, no point in yearning for home-cooked food at a fine dining outlet is there?

The typical shorbot – Be it lemon/papaya/pineapple/mango juice, I am not saying that you should avoid this, but you should not drink more than a glass of this. Better you take restrained sips, which will leave you with more room for gastronomical maneuver.

Plain/Egg Chops – I don’t mind indulging in these nibbling bits myself, but it is the size which always irritates me. There is no point in eating these giant-sized balls of starch. They ought to be tiny pieces. That way a lot more can be consumed.

Cheese – A very controversial additional, as it may draw the ire of pizza and pasta lovers towards me. But this is also a fact, you should not consume that much cheese while breaking your fast – it completely spoils your appetite and takes the life out of you even more. So much for those Sbarro-Pizza Hut-Pizza Inn unlimited pizza package lovers.

Haleem – Again, this is not a qualitative choice but quantitative. Eating chicken corn soup before your meal is one thing, this item is not synonymous with that! Haleem is mostly considered to be a wholesome meal by itself and should be eating in minimal quantities.

Kababs – That is correct, an addition of Beef Sheekh Kabab or Chicken Reshmi Kabab will do nothing for your appetite. Dry and over-spiced, when eaten with Naan or Parata, they will cause you to bloat a bit earlier that you would expect, forcing you to quit well before your potential calorie threshold.

While these are not necessarily mandates, you can avoid these during one Iftar meal. See if it works, you would be amazed at your own eating benchmark!